1. Home
2. Middle East
3. NATO 'Will Always Defend' Turkey: Chief Says

NATO chief Mark Rutte said on Wednesday the alliance would do "what's necessary to defend" its members, including Turkey, after intercepting four missiles fired from Iran and heading into Turkish airspace over the past weeks.

A member of the U.S.-led defense alliance, Turkey, which borders Iran, has been largely spared the sort of retaliation from Tehran suffered by countries in the Middle East before the ceasefire.

NATO forces had shot down ballistic missiles fired from Iran four times, prompting the alliance to deploy a new Patriot missile battery at Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey.

"Iran is spreading terror and chaos, and you feel this prominently here in Turkey," Rutte told journalists on a visit to Turkey's largest defense electronics company, Aselsan.

"In recent weeks, NATO has successfully intercepted ballistic missiles heading to Turkey from Iran on four separate occasions," he said.

"NATO is prepared for such threats and will always do what is necessary to defend Turkey and all others. And we cannot do it alone," he added.

Rutte's visit comes ahead of a July summit by NATO leaders to be held in Ankara.

AFP